The move follows parent company BDRC Group’s acquisition in May of retail insights specialist ESA, who were already based in St Albans. Of the current PRS staff in Acton, London, where the office lease is expiring, 15 have been relocated to St Albans, including managers, supervisors and interviewers.

PRS director of field services Donna Parkinson transfers her role to St Albans with responsibility for its 75 staff. Steven Flood continues as director at the company’s 60-strong central London call centre in Holborn, where much of the work is international in nature.

The mystery shopping team in St Albans, consisting of 15 people, is led by Alasdair Cornwell, director of mystery shopping, and manager Vanessa Jackson.

Richard Sheldrake (pictured), managing director of PRS, said: ”At St Albans we can take advantage of the very latest technology, and crucially we have the space we need to grow.”